A. An agent shall procure professional services from a technical registrant in the manner prescribed in chapter 6 of this title if the contract is for an amount of more than five hundred thousand dollars.

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B. An agent may procure professional services from a technical registrant in the manner prescribed in chapter 6 of this title or as prescribed in subsection D of this section if the contract is for an amount of five hundred thousand dollars or less.

C. If authority is given by law to an agent to construct a building or structure, or additions to or alterations of existing buildings, the agent shall employ an architect or engineer, or both, as warranted by the type of construction, if the agent deems the work to be of a nature that requires such employment.

D. An agent may employ a technical registrant by direct selection, by public competition pursuant to subsection G of this section or pursuant to subsections E and F of this section if the contract is for an amount of five hundred thousand dollars or less.

E. The agent may elect to employ a technical registrant or technical registrants by encouraging persons or firms engaged in the lawful practice of the profession to submit annually a statement of qualifications and experience. If the agent elects to employ a technical registrant or technical registrants by this method, the agent shall initiate an appropriately qualified selection committee for each procurement, which may include one contract or multiple contracts, in accordance with rules adopted by the agent. The amount of each contract in a single procurement under this subsection and subsection F of this section shall not exceed the dollar amount limits in subsections B and D of this section. The selection committee shall evaluate current statements of qualifications and experience on file with the agent together with those that may be submitted by other persons or firms regarding the procurement. If possible and practicable, the selection committee shall conduct interviews regarding the procurement and the relative methods of furnishing the required services and, if possible, shall select, in order of preference and based on criteria established and published by the selection committee, one or more final lists of the persons or firms deemed to be the most qualified to provide the services required. The selection committee shall base the selection of each final list and the order of preference on each final list on demonstrated competence and qualifications only. The agent and the selection committee shall not request or consider fees, price, man-hours or any other cost information at any point in the selection process under this subsection, including the selection of the persons or firms to be interviewed, the selection of the persons and firms to be on a final list, in determining the order of preference of persons and firms on a final list or for any other purpose in the selection process. If the procurement is for:

1. A single contract or if the procurement is for multiple contracts to be awarded to a single person or firm, there shall be one final list of at least three but no more than five persons or firms.

2. Multiple contracts for different technical registrant services to be awarded to separate persons or firms, there shall be a separate final list for each type of technical registrant services and the number of persons or firms on each final list shall be the number of contracts for each type of technical registrant service plus another number that is determined by the agent and that is not more than five.

3. Multiple contracts for similar technical registrant services to be awarded to separate persons or firms, there shall be one final list and the number of persons or firms on the final list shall be the number of contracts plus another number that is determined by the agent and that is not more than five.

F. After each final list is selected pursuant to subsection E of this section, the agent shall enter into negotiations with the highest qualified person or firm on each final list or, in the case of a final list for multiple contracts to be awarded to separate persons or firms, the agent shall enter into negotiations with a number of the highest qualified persons or firms on a final list equal to the number of contracts that may or will be awarded. The negotiations shall include consideration of compensation and other contract terms that the agent determines to be fair and reasonable to the agent. In making this determination, the agent shall take into account the estimated value, the scope, the complexity and the nature of the professional services to be rendered. If the agent is not able to negotiate a satisfactory contract with a person or firm with which the agent is negotiating at a price and on other contract terms the agent determines to be fair and reasonable, the agent shall formally terminate negotiations with that person or firm. The agent may enter into negotiations with the next most qualified person or firm on the final list in sequence until an agreement is reached or a determination is made to reject all persons or firms on the final list. If the agent terminates negotiations with a person or firm on a final list and commences negotiations with another person or firm on a final list, the agent shall not in that procurement recommence negotiations or enter into the single contract or multiple contracts for the technical registrant services covered by that final list with any person or firm on that final list with whom the agent has terminated negotiations.

G. If competitive designs are solicited, the agent shall publish notice of the competition at least thirty days before the date set for closing the competition. The notice shall include the following:

1. The project title and description.

2. The design and construction budget.

3. The competitive process and criteria to be used to select the winning offeror.

4. The amount of the stipend to be paid to the unsuccessful offerors.

5. The offerors’ response date.

6. The person to contact to obtain additional information regarding the competition.

7. Any other requirements established by the agent as appropriate.